6 Spots on Campus You Have To Check Out

By: Abby Morse

The other day, my best friend’s little brother came to visit campus and all of the official tours were booked, so I offered to give him one. As I was planning all of the spots I wanted to show him, I realized that over the past four semesters I’ve spent here I’ve really made this campus my own. As a freshman, I would have loved it if somebody shared their favorite spots with me, so here is a list of just a few of UMass’s most special places to me!

1. South College

   I’ve never had a class in South College, and I honestly can’t remember how I stumbled upon it. Nevertheless, it has to be my favorite place on campus to study. I have spent hours in the comfy green chairs in the main study area grinding out papers and doing readings. I think my favorite thing about South College is the architecture; when expanding the building, the university decided to add on to the remaining bones of the original building. It’s a mix of old brick and shiny glass walls, and it’s the perfect place to sit and get work done.

2. Campus Pond

   This one is basic, I know, but hear me out; you need to invest in a hammock. I bought a hammock from REI last spring semester and it is actually my most prized possession. There is nothing quite like hanging my hammock at the edge of the pond on a sunny day and reading a book. The one thing I will say is that Campus Pond has probably the worst wifi connection on the entire campus, so if you’re trying to do work this might not be the best spot. That being said, it’s one of my favorite places to relax if I want to get out of my room.

3. Journalism Hub

   Last semester, my friends and I all had huge final papers to write before winter break, and we would hole up in the Journalism Hub in the ILC for hours. Not a single one of us is a Journalism major, but we found it was a great place to work; quiet enough to focus but not silent, so we could talk if we wanted to. I think the Journalism Hub is the perfect place to go if you’re trying to romanticize being a college student. It’s bright and modern and it feels very Zoey 101. A bonus is that it’s right by Blue Wall and Harvest, so you can grab lunch to go and come back to keep working.

4. Orchard Hill

   My favorite moments of spring semester are the days when my friends and I make the trek from Southwest up to O-Hill to watch the sunset. We grab dinner from Blue Wall or Frank or even Antonio’s, and we have a little picnic on the slope. It’s definitely a hike but it’s so worth it. You get one of the best views on campus and the vibes up there are just great. Bring a speaker for some music and a hoodie because it gets cold after the sun goes down, and I swear you can stay up there for hours on end.

5. Sweets and More

   Sweets is so underrated. I swear people in Southwest just don’t know about it because I had never been until fall semester of sophomore year. It’s only open late at night on certain weekdays, but if you make the time to go and wait in the long line it’s such a gem. The shop is so cute (the walls are bright pink) and it’s completely student run. The best part is, you can use dining dollars. They have ice cream, milk shakes, floats, baked goods, and more savory stuff like pizza bagels. My twin sister showed me Sweets and I will never be able to thank her enough!

6. Design Building Roof

   I wouldn’t have known this if some of my friends didn’t have classes there, but the design building on North Pleasant has the cutest little rooftop garden where you can sit outside. It’s great during the daytime, but it’s extra cool if you have a friend who is a BCT, Architecture, or some other design major who can swipe you into the building after hours. The stars are great from up there and it’s the perfect place to enjoy a Frank ice cream cone.

UMass truly has so many incredible spots and I have so many more to share, but this is just a compilation of some of my favorites. My biggest tip for you is to make the most of this campus while you’re on it. It’s huge and you will never run out of places to discover. Make the most of your time here!

Things I Wish I Knew As An Incoming Freshman

By: Ryo Nozawa

As the academic year is coming to an end, the campus is bustling with excitement, stress, worry, and basically all the emotions that encompass the human experience. Seniors are slowly saying quiet goodbyes to the place they knew most familiar for the past four years and the freshmen are awaiting the next few years with a naivete smile. As many of us know, coming to college is one of the most nerve-wracking and fortunate moments in one's life. It is us closing the chapter of everything familiar and embarking on a new place with new people and new experiences. As a second semester freshman, I look back on my first month and semester and think of my mistakes and successes. There were many moments when I thought I was doing the right thing at the right time but I quickly realized that my perfectionist mentality just doesn't cut it. If I could, I would love to go back in time and give some advice to myself. Since I can’t do that, I will be sharing my tips for the incoming freshmen.

1) You will find your friends…and it is okay to lose some.

The biggest worry of an incoming freshman is fitting in and making friends. No one wants to feel isolated, especially in an unfamiliar place.There is going to be an overwhelming fear that no one will like you or that you aren’t making friends with the right people. However, I promise you, you will find your people. I will also guarantee that the friends you made at orientation or the first few days probably will not be your forever, closest friends. You may see them around campus and you will smile and wave but the people that you will spend the most time with will come naturally and gradually. You will know when you click with someone or who you feel awkward around. Don’t forget that in many cases, your friend group will not solidify until the latter half of your college experience. Everyone is in the same place, we all want to fit in. If you lose friends along the way of finding the ones you feel comfortable with, do not dwell on it for too long. The best thing about college is that if you don’t vibe with someone, you can easily move on and find others that do. There are endless possibilities with so many unique individuals, do not limit yourself and do not be afraid to reach out.

2) Get over it...he’s just a frat boy.

If there is one thing I consistently say to all my friends it is “get over it”. Not because I am rushing them or that I am being brutal, but because it is almost always Just. Not. That. Deep. So the guy you met at the frat last night didn’t text you back after he confessed his ever-infinite love for you. Get. Over. It. He was probably wasted and thought you looked like his ex. I am not saying that I have never overthought. It is easy to allow boy-ish (or girl-ish) matters to consume you and your head but in retrospect, you will be okay. Allow yourself to feel however you feel for a moment but then snap yourself back to reality and get over it. Most of the time, they do not deserve your time, energy, and living in your mind rent free. That boy probably won’t matter in the next week, let alone the next month. For the first year, focusing on getting to know friends and yourself is so important. Coming to college has taught me my boundaries, limits, wants, and so much more. It has forced me to face myself and to learn to cater to my feelings and thoughts. So, the next time you think about that guy that doesn’t treat you correctly, remind yourself: Get. Over. It.

3) Say hi!

This advice is fairly simple. Say hi to the people in your halls, in class, in the laundry room, everywhere. This stays the most effective during the beginning months when everyone is trying to make friends and get to know people. A simple “hi” and a smile can lead to friendships, networking opportunities, etc. Not only that, it just feels nice to be greeted at and it can improve your day and theirs. Especially with those in your dorms, it is nice to see a familiar face and catch up in the halls since it creates a more friendly environment and it expands your network of friends/acquaintances.

4) Don’t skip your classes! (I still do it)

Now…the final advice is one that I still constantly need reminding of. Do not skip your classes. If you do it once, you will do it till the end of the semester. Especially that gen-ed class that you have no interest in…it is hard to consistently show up. However, my reminder for myself is that every class that I do not go to, I am wasting my money. Tuition is expensive and in this economy, we gotta take whatever we can get. I promise you, you will feel so much more fulfilled by the end of the semester if you actually showed up and learned new information. The worst feeling for me was ending my classes and feeling like I didn’t progress academically because I did not try to. I still made sure all my work was done in time but I never absorbed or processed my first semester's large lectures. I promise you, it is worth going to class.

By no means is freshman me a know-it-all and I cannot guarantee that you won’t make mistakes in your first year but regardless, you should. In fact, I want you to and I will continue to. We will all make mistakes, sometimes grave ones, but the only way we can learn how to do the right things is if we do the wrong things. My freshman year has been a blessing and I have learned so much in the past year about myself and those around me. I have met people from all walks of life and I have taken their stories as learning experiences and it has been a blessing. As a freshman, I am so excited for the next three years. For the incoming freshmen, remember to enjoy every moment and remain graceful in everything you do.

The Fashion Trend Cycle & Being a Smart Consumer

By: Lily Fitzgerald

Fashion trends have seemed to rapidly change over the past few years or even months, cycling through past trends and giving modern twists. These trends are all a part of a life cycle, where trends go through five stages; introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence along with a 20 year trend cycle where trends reappear every 20 years with a modern twist. Even though fashion seems predictable under these parameters, social media and technology have made trends both less predictable and shorter.

The hyperactive trend cycle has caused negative effects on both over consumption and waste, as trends cycling fasts makes consumers want to buy new clothes or fast fashion so that they can be in style. But if we understand the trend cycle, we can be smarter when it comes to our consumption habits. We can learn the fashion trend cycle through different trends, but the one I want to focus on is skinny jeans.

Introduction

The first stage of a trend begins with the introduction of a new style—an emerging color, silhouette, pattern, fabric, or fit, that typically differs from the current fashion. The new trend is typically presented by a major brand or designer, and might not be well received at first glance due to the newness of the style or the fact it is replicating an older style that is seen as obsolete.

The classic late 2000s skinny jeans were first introduced to the market in 2005 by Heidi Slimane, the creative director at Dior Homme. The pants style was rudimentary at the time, as most skinny jeans were only available online and the fabric didn’t have the correct materials to give the exact hold. As a result, the style was frowned upon at the time and was not yet considered a trend or fashionable over the classic styles of the time like bootcut or baggier jean styles.

Rise

The second stage is the trend cycle is the rise––the moment when the style transitions from new to trendy. The transition is usually achieved through some influencing with celebrities and influencers wearing the trend to gain it traction. Celebrities or well known people wearing the trend causes it to appear in the media more frequently causing people to come to accept the style and see themselves wearing it in the process.

In 2006, many celebrities and influencers were featured wearing skinny jeans allowing for the product to begin to gain popularity and relevance. What made skinny jeans unique was that it was adaptable to many different subcultures and styles. From fashion icons like Paris Hilton to Emo Band front runners, the trend appeared a lot in the media and as a result many people wanted to emulate their favorite celebrities and their style. As a result, skinny jeans made a rather quick rise in popularity allowing for it to rise up in relevance.

Peak

The third stage is the peak, recognized as the point in the trend cycle where the style is the most in fashion. Here the style is available everywhere and accessible to all consumer types. Meaning that styles that were once only available in high-end fashion stores are now available in cheaper and fast fashion retailers like Forever 21. Although the peak may seem like the shortest stage, it can actually be for very long stretches of time depending on the flexibility and timelessness of the style or clothing item.

As skinny jeans rose up in relevance, more brands picked up the style, opening up access to the trend. Soon most clothing stores had some form of skinny jeans and it became weird to not wear them. Skinny jeans became an asset to every outfit, as they were versatile enough for brands to make different minor alterations coming in multiple colors and fabrics, allowing for them to reign supreme until the mid 2010s.

Decline

The fourth stage is decline––when the market becomes oversaturated with the trend and becomes too mainstream. Following close behind the peak, consumers grow tired of the trend or style, and feel like searching for different styles to gravitate towards. Once you can’t do anything new with a product, it’s hard to find any new interest in the fashion item, pushing people to look elsewhere and give in to whatever the newest trend is.

By the mid 2010s, skinny jeans had lost their luster as they had nothing new to give the consumer and became too relevant. Consumers began looking towards newer trends like mom jeans or wider legged pants that offered more comfort and versatility. Skinny jeans started to become out of style or cheugy, and people became a lot less inclined to purchase any new pair of the jeans. As a result, they fell out of mainstream style and relevance, leaning more towards the final stage than the peak.

Obsolescence

The fifth and final stage is Obsolescence, the stage when the style becomes entirely “out of fashion” leaving behind the trend entirely. They often move on to newer trends and as a result, the style ends up appearing in thrift stores and donation bins as people no longer want to wear them. Obsolescence is where trends go to die, but in the future can have the opportunity to be resurrected with some sort of fun twist.

As of today, skinny jeans have entirely lost their favor in mainstream clothing and fashion, as we no longer see the jeans worn around or sought after as intensely at the start of the trend. Skinny jeans are dead, as people turned away from them for more baggy alternatives and no longer desire to wear them. However, there is a chance for skinny jeans to reemerge in the not too distant future, as boot cut jeans—the trend before skinny jeans––has just reemerged, resetting the trend cycle and giving the opportunity for other styles to return.

Conclusion

From the trend cycle, consumers can understand that there is some weird form of recycling going on with styles and trends and that everything seems to be based on trying to find something the other person isn’t wearing. If we understand fashion from a psychological perspective, we can forgo a lot of fast fashion norms of always wanting the newest fashion and just wear what we want. If we don’t feel like racing to meet the expectations of the next trend, we can be more conscious of our consumption habits and prevent ourselves from wasting important resources and giving into fast fashion. Understanding the trend cycle is key to helping the environment and our wardrobe.

Culture on Display: Significance of NMACC

By: Uma Attreya

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) opened this past week in Mumbai, India, within the Jio World Centre. The center is named after the founder, Nita M Ambani, most commonly known as an Indian philanthropist. She founded the cultural center in hopes to showcase Indian arts and culture, and to me, she has succeeded. This center is a safe place to preserve Indian culture, with artifacts or costumes from famous Bollywood (the Hindi version of Hollywood) movies, as well as promoting new talent. The new talent has the space of a theater, an art house, and a pavilion, among other spaces to create either an intimate or expansive environment. 

Hollywood stars such as Zendaya attended the opening of this culture center, wearing Indian cultural garments, like saris, or representing Indian designers. There is a picture of her with a famous Hindi actor, Shah Rukh Khan! Being able to see the culture I grew up with, Bollywood, mesh with the culture I have grown to love, Hollywood, was comforting. I feel as though the two sides of my identity, American and Indian, have been separate. This center was a way to equalize and merge the cultures, rather than making the South Asian culture seem more distant and unrelatable. It elevated South Asian culture to be one that is respected and admired, enough so that our celebrities from the western world would fly out. 

I know I have been mentioning culture and art in India. If I were to describe every single act of culture or art, this piece would span the entire page, and then some. However, I did want to acknowledge a few. Carnatic singing and Bharatanatyam are two main forms of art being showcased, along with the instruments (such as a veena or sitar) accompanying such performances. There is also textile or fashion design, which I highly recommend looking into (Rahul Mishra has been amazing in the fashion game recently!). Just think of any type of creativity you see here, and then imagine that sort of creativity for the population of a billion people. Crazy, right?! It is hard to keep up with American pop culture, much less the culture of a country across continents and oceans, but if you are looking for vibrancy, and passion, I encourage you to explore the NMACC website and see where it takes you! 

Overall, to all the Indian Americans out there, wondering when their culture would get a chance to shine or when they could, I would say the NMACC is their chance. Whether it be costumes from movies or the finest blossoming talents, this center, now open to the public, shows that India’s rich culture deserves to be on a pedestal and a global radar.         

Top 7 UMass Dining Favorites

By: Sophia Trischitta

After almost four semesters on campus here at UMass, I have learned a thing or two about the best vs worst places to eat, as well as other factors such as price, distance, atmosphere and more! I will be sharing 7 of my all time favorite meals!

1) First up, we have the one and only, the chicken quesadilla from Roots Cafe in Honors College. Absolutely no words for this one. I was baffled when it was only $8 too! They have other options as well including buffalo and barbeque chicken that I have yet to try, but I can confirm that the chicken quesadilla is chef's kiss. They use a crispy chicken instead of grilled which I really think tops the whole thing off. They have a whole topping bar where you can get unlimited sour cream and salsa, guacamole as per requested, and so much more! I swear if I lived in the honors college I would be here everyday. 

2) Next, my favorite breakfast meal here is omelet from Hamp. I just recently started getting these this past semester and cannot believe I haven't tried one sooner. There are so many topping options including sausage, chicken, broccoli, peppers, spinach, onions, tomatoes and probably like 10 more that I haven't tried! I personally get sausage, broccoli and spinach with egg whites and cheese and it really is just the best start to my morning. I like to pair it with some fruit or a croissant after a workout and it gets me energized for the rest of the day!

3) If you are a coffee lover like me, then Peet’s or Carney are my absolute favorites. Peet’s is in the ILC and recently their hours have been all over the place so I havent had it in a while. However, Carney in the Isenberg Hub is a reliable source. I tend to go for either a caramel latte or macchiato but they have so many more options. They also have baked goods, sandwiches, soups, and much more! You will find me running there after class probably every day. 

4) I don't know about you but I am a big chipotle girl. So when I went to Blue Wall and found Tamales I was so excited to try it. I love getting their bowls with chicken, rice, pico, corn, lettuce, sour cream and cheese. Occasionally I will get the chips on the side and obviously use each chip for every. single. bite. A cheaper alternative to Tamales is when Hamp has tacos for dinner. I make just about the exact same bowl with the hard shells on the side (for chips duh) and it's amazing!!

5) Next up, we have the deli sandwiches/wraps from Berk. I have been getting them since freshman year and they are perfect for lunch. They have so many meat and cheese options, and ofcourse all the toppings to finish off your sandwich or wrap. I get a turkey and cheese sandwich on a Kaiser roll, with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo. My absolute go-to! I dont get mine toasted but I have heard from so many people that it makes the sandwich ten times better. Of course I always get chips on the side and put them in my sandwich for a little crunch. Wow, I'm hungry. 

6) Another Blue Wall find is a salad from Green Fields. Yes, the line is always insanely long and sometimes I don't even have time in between classes to wait in it, but it is so worth it. It is basically just a salad bar with a create your own option or a pre made option. I have heard amazing things about the Southwestern salad. I always make my own with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, carrots, cheese, CRISPY chicken, and the blueberry dressing. It is definitely worth the wait! 

7) Lastly, we have my newest find. It is the spinach and feta flatbread from Argo Tea. I just recently found it during finals week of this past semester, and it is so good for lunch! They toast it up, make it crispy and warm, and taste exactly like the Starbucks flatbread!

That's all I've got for now! I hope that all of you try these out and enjoy them just as much as I do!